Steam propulsion boiler



Dec. 27, 1966 c. A. WALKER 3,293,854

STEAM PROPULSION BOILER Filed Nov. 8, 1 62 FIG. I

II IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII, 35

I II "III INVENTOR.

CHARLES A. WALKER BY WK WW2;

United States Patent ()fiice 3,293,854 Patented Dec. 27, 1966 3,293,854 STEAM PROPULSION BOILER Charles A. Walker, 1533 Riverdale Road, Germantown, Tenn. 38038 Filed Nov. 8, 1962, Ser. No. 236,242 6 Claims. (Cl. 60227) This invention relates to a boiler construction and to a boiler construction that is particularly adapted to be used in combination with ocean going vessels and the like for the propulsion thereof.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a device for flashing water into steam in such a way that the solids remain in suspension or are otherwise nondetrimental to the operation of the device.

A further object is to provide such a device in which the body thereof is uniquely constructed in the shape of a teardrop having an enlarged end and being tapered therefrom to its termination in a restricted exit opening through which the steam is discharged.

A further object is to provide such a device that is adapted to be heated in the tapered portion to produce superheated steam whereby maximum discharge velocity is effected.

A further object is to provide such a device comprising a hollow teardrop-shaped body including an enlarged end providing an enlarged area in the interior thereof, means communicating with said enlarged area for introducing water in said enlarged area in the form of a mist, means for heating said body to a temperature sufficient for vaporizing the mist into steam when said mist is in close adjacency to said body, said body ibeing tapered for a portion from said enlarged end to its termination in a restricted exit to provide a tapering restricted area through which the steam passes before being discharged through said exit.

A further object is to provide such a device which is particularly adapted to be used in combination with an ocean going vessel and the like so that sea water can be supplied to the boiler and the discharge velocity of the superheated steam can be used to propel the vessel.

A further object is to provide a simple and effective means for propelling a ship, boat or the like.

A further object is generally to improve the design and construction of boilers and vessel propulsion means.

The means by which the foregoing and other objects of the present invention are accomplished and the manner of their accomplishment will be readily understood from the following specification upon reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic sectional view of the boiler of the present invention taken as on a vertical plane through the longitudinal center line thereof.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken as on the line II-II of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a somewhat diagrammatic view of the device of the present invention shown in combination with a ship, and with only a fragmentary portion of the ship being shown and with parts being broken away for purposes of illustration.

Referring now to the drawings in which the various parts are indicated by numerals, and referring first more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, the boiler 11 of the present invention comprises a substantial hollow teardrop-shaped body 13 that includes an enlarged bulbous forward end 15 providing an enlarged enclosed area 17 in the interior thereof. Body 13 is provided with an integral tapered portion 19 that tapers inwardly and rearwardly from forward end 15 to its termination in a rearward end 21 that defines an exit opening 23, that preferably has its center on the longitudinal axis of body 13. Thus, tapered portion 19 establishes in the interior of body 13 a tapering restricted area or throat portion 25 for a purpose later to -be described. Body 13 is preferably symmetrical about its longitudinal axis, and in cross-section body 13 is preferably circular with the diameter of the circles becoming smaller as the cross sections are taken in the tapered portion 19 towards the rearward end 21.

Body 13 is provided with a central opening 27 centrally of forward end 15 and opposite from exit opening 23. A conduit 29 leads from a source of water, not shown, as for example, sea water, and leads through central opening 27 where it is sealed therein and extends into enlarged area 17 where it terminates in an open end 31.

A pair Olf rod-like members 33 are fixedly attached by suitable means, as welding or the like, to conduit 29 in enlarged area 17. From their points of attachment with conduit 29, rod-like members 33 extend outwardly and thence rearwardly in parallel spaced relationship, as best seen in FIG. 1. A member 35 for breaking the water up into a fine mist is carried by rod-like members 33. Member 35 is provided with a conical surface 37 that faces end 31 and has its apex in alignment therewith. Rodlike members 33 are respectively threaded for portion-s as at 39 and respectively extend through apertures, not shown, provided in member 35. Each rod-like member is provided with a pair of nuts 43, 45 threadedly engaged thereon on opposite sides of member 35 to adjustably anchor member 35 onto rod-like members 33 so that the member can be adjusted towards and away from open end 31. In addition, member 35 is preferably provided with a pair of recessed portions 47 to make room for nuts 4-3. It will he understood that water under pressure which enters body 13 through conduit 29 will be discharged through open end 31 and will impinge upon conical surface 37 where the water will be broken up into small particles in the form of a spray or mist. If desired, the water may be broken up into small particles by other means without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, the water may be atomized as it leaves conduit 29 by suitable well-known means.

Suitable heating means, as for example, the flames 49 from a suitable burner 51, is used to heat forward end 15 to a sufiicient temperature so that the particles of water, that is, the mist formed by the water hitting conical surface 37, is transformed into steam closely adjacent to or upon contact with the interior of body 13' resulting in a continuous explosion. The water leaving open end 31, as heretofore described, is of a suflicient pressure to prevent the steam from leaving theretlrrough in the opposite direction of the flow of the water, so that the only place for the steam to go is to flow rearwardly into the restricted area 25. In this restricted area 25, the steam is preferably further heated by suitable heating means, as for example, the flames 53 from a suitable burner 55. With this additional heat, the steam is changed into superheated steam in restricted area 25. This superheated steam further dries or gasifies any solids which might be in the water. The steam discharges through exit opening 23 and can be utilized in a number of ways, such as, for example, the solids could be reduced from the superheated steam, the steam utilized to produce electric power, and condensed to fresh water. Also, it will be understood that a great amount of thrust is generated by passage of the superheated steam through exit opening 23, and one use of such thrust is illustrated in FIG. 3, wherein it will be seen the boiler 11 of the present invention is utilized in combination with a ship 57. Thus, boiler 11 is mounted in the hull 59 of ship 57 with tapered portion 19 extending rearwardly and through an opening 61 in the stern of hull 59 to discharge the superheated steam, shown as at 63, re-arwardly to propel ship 57. It will :be understood that sea water taken directly from the ocean maybe used to run boiler 11. This is a great advantage over convention-a-l types of propelling means for ships in which great expense and a large amount of equipment, etc., it used to remove the solids from the sea water, and additional equipment in the form of turbines is needed to drive the ships propellers. With the use of the present invention there are no propellers or machinery necessary, but the ship is driven by the superheated steam jet 63 discharging from exit opening 23. Also, it will be understood that no preheaters or the like are necessary with the device of the present invention, since so many B.t.u.s are required to produce so much steam from so much water.

It should be pointed out that in some instances it may be desirable in boiler 11 to omit the means for breaking the water up into small particles so that the water enters directly into the interior of body 13. In some cases, it may be that all of the water will not be converted into steam, but that portion of the water that is not converted into steam is forced through exit 23 by the portion of the water that is converted into steam.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that a very unique, efficient and simple device is provided for effectively producing superheated steam, and it is done in such a manner that the solids which might be in the water remain in suspension or are otherwise nondetrimental to its operation.

Although the invention has been described and illustrated with respect to a preferredembodiment thereof, it is to be understood that it is not to be solimited since changes and modifications may be made therein which are within the full intended scope of this invention as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. A steam propulsion means for providing the primary means of propulsion for a craft comprising a hollow teardrop-shaped body including an enlarged end providing an enlarged are-a in the interior thereof, means communicating with said enlarged area for introducing water in a continuously flowing stream into said enlarged area, means for providing a heating medium for heating said body to a temperature sufficient for continuously vaporizing the water in said body into steam and producing a continuous explosion, said body being tapered for a portion from said enlarged end to its termination in a restricted exit to provide a tapering restricted area for the steam to pass through before passing through said exit, said heating medium being kept separate from said steam.

2. A steam propulsion means for providing the primary means of propulsion for a craft comprising a hollow teardrop-shaped body including an enlarged forward end providing an enlarged area in the interior thereof, said body being symmetrical about its longitudinal axis and being provided with a central entrance opening in said forward end concentric with the longitudinal axis of said body, said body being provided with an exit opening opposite from said central opening and the rearward end of said body, conduit means extending into said body through said central opening for conducting water under pressure in a continuously flowing stream into said body, means for providing a heating medium for heating said body to a temperature sufiicient for continuously vaporizing into steam at least a portion of the water in said body and producing a continuous explosion, said body being tapered for a portion from said enlarged end to said exit opening to provide a tapering restricted area for the steam to pass through before passing through said exit, said heating medium being kept separate from said steam.

3. A boiler for producing steam comprising a hollow teardrop-shaped body including an enlarged forward end providing an enlarged area in the interior thereof, said body being symmetrical about its longitudinal axis and being provided with a central entrance opening in said forward end concentric with the longitudinal axis of said body, said body being provided with an exit opening opposite from said central opening and the rearward end of said body, conduit means extending into said body through said central opening for conducting Water in a continuously flowing stream under pressure into said body, means adjacent the end of said conduit means for breaking the water conducted theret-hrough into a mist as it enters said body, means for heating said body to a temperature sufficient for continuously vaporizing the mist into steam when said mist is in close adjacency to said body and producing a continuous explosion, said body being tapered for a portion from said enlarged end to said exit opening to provide a tapering restricted area for the steam to pass through before passing through said exit.

4. The device of claim 3 in which said exit opening is at least less than one-half the size of said enlarged area and in which additional heating means is provided adjacent said tapered portion for heating said tapered portion sufficiently to produce super-heated steam in said restricted area.

5. The device of claim 3 in which said means for breaking the Water into a mist includes a member having a conical surface facing said conduit means and means adjustably mounting said member.

6. Means adapted, for propelling a vessel comprising a boiler for producing steam including a hollow teardropshaped body having an enlarged end providing an enlarged area in the interior thereof, means communicating with said enlarged area for introducing water in a continuously flowing stream into said enlarged area, means for providing a heating medium for heating said body to a temperature sufficient for continuously vaporizing the Water in said body into steam and producing a continuous explosion, said body being tapered for a portion from said enlarged end to its termination in a restricted exit to provide a tapering restricted area for the steam to pass through before passing through said exit, said exit being adapted to be positioned on the exterior of said vessel for the propelling thereof by the steam passing therethrough, said heating medium being kept separate from said steam.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,787,844 1/ 1931 Widdis a 60-35.5 2,020,566 11/1935 Nelson 60-355 2,546,210 3/ 1951 Bittner 60-355 2,618,924 11/1952 Krontiris 60'--35.5 2,635,422. 4/ 1953 Landgraf 60-356 3,013,384 12/ 1961 Smith 6035.5 3,019,687 2/ 1962 Goongwer 60-4356 FOREIGN PATENTS 478,917 1/ 1928 Germany.

22,136 9/ 1911 Great Britain.

of 1910 533,953 10/ 1955 Italy.

MARK NEWMAN, Primary Examiner.

ABRAM BLUM, Examiner.

W, A. SCHUETZ, R. D. BLAKESLEE,

Assistqnt Examiners. 

1. A STEAM PROPULSION MEANS FOR PROVIDING THE PRIMARY MEANS OF PROPULSION FOR A CRAFT COMPRISING A HOLLOW TEARDROP-SHAPED BODY INCLUDING AN ENLARGED END PROVIDING AN ENLARGED AREA IN THE INTERIOR THEREOF, MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID ENLARGED AREA FOR INTRODUCING WATER IN A CONTINUOUSLY FLOWING STREAM INTO SAID ENLARGED AREA, MEANS FOR PROVIDING A HEATING MEDIUM FOR HEATING SAID BODY TO A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENT FOR CONTINUOUSLY VAPORIZING THE WATER IN SAID BODY INTO STEAM AND PRODUCING A CONTINUOUS EXPLOSION, SAID BODY BEING TAPERED FOR A PORTION FROM SAID ENLARGED END TO ITS TERMINATION IN A RESTRICTED EXIT TO PROVIDE A TAPERING RESTRICTED AREA FOR THE STEAM TO PAS THROUGH BEFORE PASSING THROUGH SAID EXIT, SAID HEATING MEDIUM BEING KEPT SEPARATE FROM SAID STEAM. 